Metal vs. wood bats

June 26, 2009|BY DEB SMITH, dsmith@aberdeennews.com

Two completely different baseball bats make two distinctive sounds. The metal bats used in high schools and colleges ping on contact with the ball, and the wood bats in professional and some amateur leagues make a cracking noise. Thanks to tournaments like the Vern Jark Wood Bat Invitational Friday through Sunday at Fossum Field the wood bat is making a comeback. Amateur teams: In South Dakota amateur baseball, Class A teams use wood bats and Class B teams play with aluminium. The Aberdeen Orthopedics/Plaza Pharmacy squad belongs to the Great Plains League which includes several North Dakota teams. “We stay with wood,” said Aberdeen coach Russell Metz. “Jumping back and forth is kind of tough.” If an A and B team play, the decision on bats usually remains with the home team. Redfield Dairy Queen is a Class B squad that plays in the Northern Plains League along with Ipswich, Groton and Britton. “We took a survey and all four teams voted for wood but state-wide 18 were in favor and 45 against,” said Redfield manager Kurt Perman. “Wood bats are a better game because not as many runs are scored and it's more fun to watch and hear the real crack of the bat.” Legion teams: Coach Mark Gulseth used wood bats in his professional playing career. He currently coaches the Aberdeen Smittys Legion team and Northern State college team which both use metal bats. One of the advantages of metal bats is their durability but they are not indestructible. “You see dents in the aluminum or small cracks,” Gulseth said. “They're good for about a season and sometimes longer. They wear out.” He noted that Northern uses about eight to 10 bats of different lengths and thicknesses. The Smittys only need about six to eight bats because a lot of players use the same ones. Travis Kurth, Groton Legion coach, said the aluminium bats wear out. “We don't use any of ours for batting practice,” he said. “Every at-bat limits the effect of the bat for future use. Every swing of the bat and every ball coming off the bat takes a little bit of the 'oomph' out of it.” Bat costs: The following are bat prices according to the web site justbats.com. Metal: Easton Reflex Extended $59.99, Louisville Slugger $99.99, Easton Stealth Speed Stiff & Nike Aerofuse $399.99. Wood: Rawlings white ash $29.99, RockBats maple $59.99, Sam Bat maple $120, BamBoo Bat $139.99. Maple bats have increased in popularity because they are a stronger wood and last longer. Legion teams: Groton is not playing in any wood bat tourneys this season. “If everybody went to it, I wouldn't oppose it,” said Kurth. “It takes some getting used to. It makes the game much more defensive but you're not so susceptible to the one big swing that means the game's over.” Deb Smith is an American News Sports Writer who can be reached at (605) 622-2311 or dsmith@aberdeennews.com.